2004 Draft: How Swede It Is

Notes on 14 draft-eligible Swedes including the members of the 2004 World Junior team, Johan Fransson and Johannes Salmonsson.

Johan Fransson D, Lulea

Defenseman with excellent mobility ... effortless skater with a powerful stride and excellent balance ... has a quick and accurate shot...plays a mature game and has really improved his decison-making on the ice ... it appears that his decision to opt out of last year's draft was a good one, as his stock has since soared.

Johannes Salmonsson LW, Djurgarden

Good-looking player is a ways away from being a solid one ... a dazzling stickhandler and good skater who can make eye-popping, inside-out moves and knows where to go on the ice, albeit he still needs to get stronger on the puck ... finishing skills have been questioned, which might keep him out of the first round ... lots of hurdles to overcome, but his size will play a big role at the draft.

Oscar Hedman D, Modo

Stocky defenseman is creative and intelligent, but would benefit from developing a bigger mean streak ... possesses a good pivot step and can join the rush without leaving his defensive duties unattended ... mature and calm under pressure with a very solid positional game ... very strong on the puck and plays cool under pressure.

Carl Soderberg C, MIF Redhawks

We love his size and offensive drive ... top speed is solid, although he does not accelerate flawlessly ... exhibits good strength on the puck and loves to go to the net to score his goals, which is not second-nature to many players his age ... also owns an excellent shooting arsenal which he's not afraid to show off.

Linus Persson C, Frolunda

Quite simply a smart player who knows what to do with the puck in all situations ... has a crisp, chippy passing game that he utilizes to perfection ... a superb puck handler, he seems to have eyes in the back of his head at times, although his unselfish play limits his finish ... very slight and light, which would be a concern on the smaller ice surface.

Richard Demen-Willaume D, Frolunda

Has all the necessary tools, but must learn to step up when the chips are down ... somewhat passive at times and not as aggressive as countryman Hedman on the blueline, especially offensively ... a big body that can skate, but at times struggles to reach top speed ... needs to react faster, improve his overall instincts ... despite some of the weaknesses, our Swedish scout says: "This guy can do everything from quarterbacking a powerplay to winning battles in front of his own net."

Alexander Bergstrom RW, Rogle

A raw offensive talent whose all-around weaknesses are keeping him from breaking out big-time ... our Swedish scout says: "He reminds a bit of Soderberg. Very good skater and puck handler who knows how to find the net. However he lacks maturity defensively, lacks consistency and looks lost and invisible in certain games. Aside from that, he can score, create and attacks the net well."

Anton Axelsson RW, Frolunda

P.J.'s brother is similar to the older Axelsson in several regards ... a hard-working player more suitable for defensive duty, although he can handle his own offensively and score the occasional goal ... while a good skater, he does not quite possess P.J.'s explosive wheels, but can get from point A to point B ... uses his frame well in traffic and along the boards.

Tobias Viklund D, Modo

Finesse rearguard with good offensive instincts, but not enough size ... a good puck carrier with a smooth stride and above-average top-end speed ... has a hard slap shot and quick release ... needs work on his playmaking skills as well as clearing the zone ... plays a well-positioned defensive game, although he is not a physical presence ... bulking up is a must.

Marcus Nyberg D, Lulea

A skilled offensive blueliner with good vision and excellent playmaking skills ... makes a crisp first pass out of the zone and has a snappy wrist shot which he must utilize to a greater extent ... good mobility and agility, but must improve his strength on the puck ... has a fairly slight frame and gets outmuscled by bigger guys ... like Viklund, he doesn't possess much bulk.

Viktor Lindgren LW, Lulea

Enigmatic winger either sizzles of fizzles ... amazing top-end speed and acceleration ... sees the ice well, has good hands and good finish ... has a crisp wrist shot with quick release ... struggles whenever the game gets tight and physical, getting outmuscled by bigger, tougher opponents ... inconsistent and on many nights looks completely uninspired ... shows promise but needs to flourish mentally and physically.

Mattias Hellstrom C, Modo

Solid, but rather unspectacular ... two-way pivot is an intelligent playmaker who reads the game very well ... makes safe, informed decisions accurately ... all in all, a good skater, but needs to improve his acceleration ... not a great shooter and struggles to get the puck through the crowd ... shows a good effort and a willingness to backcheck although he's not strong enough to intimidate ... a lot like Mathias Johansson in the way that he impresses with his maturity and brains, but when it comes to NHL upside, we don't see much.

Tommy Enstrom LW, Modo

Younger brother of Tobias ... an exciting looking player due to his advanced stickhandling abilities and solid puck skills ... a smooth skater who distributes the puck effectively to all corners ... lacking intensity and committment to alleviate his lack of size ... a one-trick pony that likes to create plays with the puck, but does not find the rest of the game as appealing ... little pro North American upside.

Tomas Wallgren C, Lulea

Crafty pivot is aware of his two-way responsibilities ... a hard working player with the attributes of a leader ... solid playmaker with above-average offensive instincts ... overall speed is so-so, a little rough on his turns and first step needs work ... capable backchecker with informed positional play ... a late-round possibility.